Bill Text: IL HR0139 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Declares October 22, 2021 as Ecumenical See of Constantinople Day in order to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the elevation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Recognizes the continuing and historic service by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and his importance to the State of Illinois. Encourages United States foreign policy makers to continue to urge Turkey to grant religious freedom and property rights to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as to reopen the theological school at Halki.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-05-06 - Resolution Adopted [HR0139 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HR0139-Introduced.html

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HR0139 LRB102 17493 LAW 23031 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives wish to recognize Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew of Constantinople on the historic 30th anniversary
of his election on October 22, 1991 and his elevation on
November 2, 1991 as the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople New
Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch; and
WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was born to
Christos and Merope Archontonis in the village of Zeytinli on
the island of Imbros; and
WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew belongs to the
historically indigenous Rum, descendants of the Eastern Roman
Empire/Byzantine Empire Greek community in Turkey; and
WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew attended
elementary school in his native Imbros and continued his
secondary education in the famous Zographeion Lyceum in
Constantinople; soon afterward, he studied theology as an
undergraduate at the Patriarchal Theological School of Halki;
he graduated with highest honors in 1961 and was immediately
ordained deacon, receiving the name Bartholomew; from 1963 to
1968, he pursued his postgraduate studies at the Pontifical
Oriental Institute in Rome, the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey

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in Switzerland, and the Ludwig Maximilians University of
Munich in Germany; his doctoral research was on the Canon Law;
after returning to Constantinople in 1968, he took a position
at the Patriarchal Theological Seminary of Halki; and
WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was ordained a
priest on October 19, 1969 by Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras
I; and
WHEREAS, When Demetrius I became Ecumenical Patriarch in
1972 and established the Patriarchal Office, he selected
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as its director; on Christmas
of 1973, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew became Metropolitan
of Philadelphia and was renamed as director of the patriarchal
office until his enthronement as Metropolitan of Chalcedon in
1990; and
WHEREAS, On October 22, 1991, Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew was elected the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople
New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch, for which his enthronement
ceremony took place on November 2, 1991 in the Patriarchal
Cathedral in the Phanar; and
WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the
longest-serving Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in the
history of Christianity; and

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WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is recognized in
the United States and abroad as a leader in the quest for world
peace, greater religious understanding, and respect for the
Earth's environment; and
WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is the spiritual
leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church with millions of
Orthodox Christians around the world and in the United States,
with a significant population here in Illinois and the City of
Chicago; and
WHEREAS, On his first official visit to the United States
in 1997, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received the
Congressional Gold Medal, presented by the United States on
behalf of Congress in recognition of his outstanding and
enduring contributions to religious understanding and peace;
he was recognized by the United States in a manner reserved for
a very small number of world leaders; and
WHEREAS, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew enhanced greater
religious understanding by initiating a joint declaration
stating that it is man's duty to protect the earth, signed by
himself and Pope John Paul II, the spiritual leaders of nearly
one out of every five people in the world; and

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WHEREAS, House Resolution 666 of the 95th General Assembly
passed the Illinois House of Representatives on October 4,
2007, followed by Senate Resolution 70 of the 98th, which
passed the Illinois State Senate on May 31, 2013, both
remarked on Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's importance to
the State of Illinois and his accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, House Resolution 348 of the 101st General
Assembly passed the Illinois House of Representatives on May
30, 2019, recognized the 50th anniversary of Priesthood for
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, and
remarked on his importance to the State of Illinois and his
accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, The outstanding accomplishments of Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew have been formally recognized and
honored by numerous governmental, academic, and other
institutions around the world; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we declare October 22, 2021 as Ecumenical See of
Constantinople Day in order to commemorate the 30th
anniversary of the elevation of Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew of Constantinople; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That we recognize the continuing and historic
service by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That we recognize the importance to Illinois,
the United States, and to the world of Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew's leadership on matters of the environment, peace,
and religion and encourage United States foreign policy makers
to continue to urge Turkey to grant religious freedom and
property rights to the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as to
reopen the theological school at Halki; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we express our support for Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew's noble efforts for the betterment of
humankind; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as a symbol of
our respect and esteem.